Review of Massacre at Mountain Meadows, in Religious Studies Review, September 2010

Nov 8, 2010

“The authors have compiled a staggering amount of research, some of which has never been seen before, and present a more thorough and detailed history of Mountain Meadows than has ever been written. . . . This meticulously researched book is an important contribution to the study of Mormonism in America and the authors succeeded in telling the story of an often polarizing event in a scholarly and historically responsible way.”

Review of Massacre at Mountain Meadows, in Journal of Ecclesiastical History, October 2009

Nov 8, 2010

“On 11 September 1857 a group of Mormon militia men massacred 120 men, women, and children at Mountain Meadows on the wagon route to California through southern Utah. . . . Massacre at Mountain Meadows tells of the grim outcome without flinching and without excuse.”

Review of Massacre at Mountain Meadows, in Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture, December 2009

Jan 20, 2010

Massacre at Mountain Meadows deserves to be the standard account of the massacre for both LDS and non-LDS researchers and readers, updating Juanita Brooks’s fine but now outdated The Mountain Meadows Massacre . . . and surpassing other recent treatments. . . . Walker, Turley, and Leonard have provided a tightly written, riveting narrative. . . . While its prose is commendable, the real quality of the book rests upon the impressiveness of its research and the soundness of its analysis.”

Review of Massacre at Mountain Meadows, in Overland Journal, Winter 2009

Jan 19, 2010

“A comprehensive analysis that places the complex event in the midst of such broader historical constructs as the persistence of violence in antebellum America, the liabilities of the militia tradition, and the nature of mass killings in general. . . . The narrative is haunting, tense, and compelling. . . . The scholarship is impeccable.”

Massacre at Mountain Meadows Now Available As an Audio Book

Jan 4, 2010

After five hardback printings and a book club edition, Massacre at Mountain Meadows is now also available as an audio book that can be downloaded from Audible.com. For more information, click here.

Massacre at Mountain Meadows Wins Westerners International Award for Best Non-Fiction Book of 2008

Oct 27, 2009

At a Westerners International breakfast held during the Western History Association’s annual conference on October 10, 2009, in Denver, Colorado, Massacre at Mountain Meadows received the “Co-Founders Best Book Award: First Place for Best Non-Fiction Book Published in 2008.” Read more here.

Review of Massacre at Mountain Meadows, in Journal of American History, September 2009

Oct 12, 2009

Massacre at Mountain Meadows is arguably the most professional, transparent account of a controversial event in Mormon history produced under church auspices. The work may well mark a major turning point in Latter-day Saint historiography. . . . The deftly and tightly written story is constructed like a Greek tragedy, the timeline contracting as the narrative expands in detail─breaking at the climax.”

Review of Massacre at Mountain Meadows, in Reviews in American History, June 2009

Aug 8, 2009

“A fascinating study about one of the most controversial events of western history. . . . When confronted with disputed or contradictory evidence, the authors deal with it judiciously and fairly. The thoroughness of their research is most impressive. . . . Massacre is a significant contribution. It is carefully researched, objective in viewpoint, well organized, and clearly written.”

Review of Massacre at Mountain Meadows, in Western American Literature, Spring 2009

Jun 25, 2009

“Using new archival research, Walker, Turley, and Leonard strive to accurately represent the historical context surrounding the [Mountain Meadows Massacre]. . . . The book is a must-read for scholars of the Mountain Meadows Massacre and LDS history.” Read more here.

Massacre at Mountain Meadows Wins Best Book Award, Mormon History Association, May 22, 2009

Jun 25, 2009

“A long-awaited book on the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre has received the Best Book Award from the Mormon History Association at its 44th annual conference” in Springfield, Illinois. “The book has been heralded as the most thorough treatment to date of the 1857 event.” Read more here.

“Best Sellers: Top Religion Titles,” Christian Century, May 5, 2009

Jun 25, 2009

The Christian Century magazine of May 5, 2009, has an article titled “Best Sellers” that names top religion titles by publisher. Oxford University Press lists Massacre at Mountain Meadows as its number one bestseller in this field.

Massacre at Mountain Meadows Receives Special Citation from Association for Mormon Letters, February 28, 2009

Jun 24, 2009

“Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley, Jr., and Glen M. Leonard have produced the most complete, thoughtful, and balanced account of the murders to date. Their painstaking research has allowed them to piece together a timeline of events and a multitude of perspectives from which to explain the unexplainable. The Association admires the skill with which interlocking, parallel narratives have been crafted, a nuanced and balanced tone achieved, genuine compassion for the victims evinced, and no excuses sought or given for the perpetrators.” Read more here.

“Booklist Editors’ Choice: Adult Books 2008,” Booklist Online, January 1, 2009

Jan 9, 2009

“Coauthors Walker, Richard E. Turley, and Glen M. Leonard provide the richest account yet of the darkest chapter in Mormon history: the massacre of a wagon train of California-bound immigrants passing through Utah in 1857. Essential for western-history collections.” Read more here.

“2008: The Year in Books,” Salt Lake Tribune, December 27, 2008

Jan 9, 2009

“Local booksellers Ken Sanders and Catherine Weller agree that one of the biggest Utah releases of 2008 was the . . . long-anticipated account of the tragic 1857 slaughter of more than 120 men, women and children, Massacre at Mountain Meadows, . . . ‘In terms of sales, historic import and splash within the community nothing topped it.’” Read more here.

“The Mountain Meadows Massacre,” Morning News, December 22, 2008

Jan 9, 2009

Massacre at Mountain Meadows (Oxford University Press) is . . . a compelling and dramatic piece of historiography.” Read more here.

“Massacre Book ‘A Big Bestseller,’” Mormon Times, November 29, 2008

Dec 3, 2008

“Anxious booksellers were calling Oxford University Press every other day asking when they could get more copies of the book ‘Massacre at Mountain Meadows.’ . . . ‘We couldn’t print them fast enough,’ said Susan Fensten, a publicist for Oxford University Press. . . . With more than 44,000 books sold over so short a time, it has been Oxford’s fastest-selling book over the last few years.” Read more here.

“Nailing Down the Nightmare of Mountain Meadows Massacre,” Salt Lake Tribune, November 21, 2008

Dec 3, 2008

“Some seven-plus years in the making, and drawing upon the full resources of the LDS Church (including access to the First Presidency’s Archives), Massacre offers a straightforward, spartan narrative couched in nuanced language more focused on explaining than on blaming.” Read more here.

“Westward Bound,” Washington Post, September 21, 2008

Sep 22, 2008

“Only recently has anything approaching a comprehensive account of the massacre become possible. But no one has done a more thorough, even-handed job of reconstructing the killing and the complex events that surrounded it than Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley Jr. and Glen M. Leonard in their riveting new book, Massacre at Mountain Meadows. . . . The three bring to their subject unusual expertise as well as a sympathy for the Mormon cause that renders their unflinching telling of this awful story all the more persuasive.” Read more here.

Authors of Massacre at Mountain Meadows Tape One-Hour Television Special, Mormon Times, September 19, 2008

Sep 19, 2008

“BYU television interview at Mountain Meadows to air Sept. 24.” Read more here.

Book Review, Woodbury Bulletin, September 17, 2008

Sep 18, 2008

Dave Wood, past vice-president of the National Book Critics Circle, writes: “My wishes were recently fulfilled with a new book, ‘Massacre at Mountain Meadows,’ by Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley and Glen M. Leonard. . . . It’s a shocking story, well-documented, neither an expose or a cover-up.”

“‘Massacre at Mountain Meadows’ Shines Light on Dark Episode,” Mormon Times, September 12, 2008

Sep 12, 2008

“The pain of the Mountain Meadows Massacre continues to echo across time. It still affects members of the LDS Church, descendants and relatives of the victims, and others. The authors hope their book can provide ‘catharsis’ — a release of deep, emotional healing.”